1Passwd beta now syncs keychain, identity items to iPhone

1Passwd is a powerful password and identity manager that integrates well with …

Mac OS X's built-in Keychain is a good, solid solution for those who want a central location to store login information for websites, applications, and FTP accounts. For more serious web surfers though, Keychain falls short in a few crucial areas such as offering tools to store other information and fill forms with things like like multiple identities and credit card numbers. Many Mac OS X browsers don't offer support for the Keychain either—big hitters like Firefox and NetNewsWire, we're looking at you.

That is why Agile Web Solutions has created 1Passwd. 1Passwd is a popular alternative to Keychain due to its robust support for many more Mac OS X browsers (including OmniWeb, NetNewsWire, DEVONagent, Camino, and even Flock) and form-filling abilities. 1Passwd even stores all of your passwords in its own keychain in Mac OS X's Keychain app, allowing users to easily back up their items and/or sync them via .Mac. It's a great app that I, personally, thank for allowing me to worry less about which browser I decide to use each day (with the help of a del.icio.us account and Pukka's menubar feature). A new 2.5 version of 1Passwd is on the way (with a beta available now) that will allow users to access their password and identity information in two new ways. The first is a myPasswd feature that will give users an option to turn on secure, encrypted web access to their information.

Another, more buzz-worthy feature that the company just pinged us about is a new "Sync to iPhone" ability. Using some clever MobileSafari bookmarklet tricks and heavy encryption, users will have the option of bringing all of their 1Passwd information along with them, securely on their iPhones.

While there could certainly be a debate around whether it is a good idea to be bringing sensitive data like this along in a device that is far too easy to pocket, Agile Web Solutions is confident in the software. For the sake of said conversation, the company is using 448-bit Blowfish with Cipher Block Chaining (CBC) and randomized salt encryption. To help lock things down, a user-defined password is required to access this all-encompassing bookmarklet, which also features a one-tap lock button and even search.

If Keychain has been leaving you wanting more and 1Passwd has piqued your interest, a demo of the current version is available. If you want this new iPhone-ified beta, head over to this Agile Web Solutions forum thread, or simply wait a few days for the final 2.5 version to solidify. Either way, if you decide to jump, a license will cost $29.95, with a Palm companion available for $12.95.